early college designs data use toolkit sample focus group...
TRANSCRIPT
EARLY COLLEGE DESIGNS DATA USE TOOLKIT
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SAMPLE FOCUS GROUP SCRIPT FOR TEACHERS Introduction Thank you for agreeing to participate in this focus group interview of teachers for the __________________. This focus group interview is a part of a larger study to identify the characteristics of courses in schools that most effectively prepare students for college-level introductory courses. We are also interested in knowing more about the strategies and practices that teachers and schools use to accelerate the progress of students who are underprepared in content areas. You were selected for participation in this focus group because you:
1. Answered questions on a teacher survey in a way indicates that your practice and beliefs about teaching are consistent with the literature on best practices in college readiness;
2. Work in a school with a demonstrated success in student performance; or 3. Work at a school with a special theme or emphasis that suggests that effective
strategies for college preparation are present. Our goal for this focus group interview is to explore several themes under the broad issue of college readiness and to hear from you about what is important and what works in getting students ready for college. This focus group phase of the study is preceded by a teacher survey and followed by school observations in the fall. Your participation in this focus group is voluntary, and can be terminated at any time. Neither your name nor school affiliation will be revealed without your expressed permission. In all other cases, pseudonyms will be used to protect the anonymity of all participants in these focus group interviews. Are there any questions about the study or how the data collected today will be used? You will also have an opportunity at the conclusion of the interview to ask any questions you may have.
Discussion Questions 1. What are the primary goals of your teaching? How would you describe or define
your goals for your work with students? 2. Of the following categories of college readiness--content knowledge, cognitive
skills, academic behaviors, contextual awareness--which one would you say is most important for you to teach in order to effectively prepare students for success in college-level coursework?
3. Which categories of college readiness would you say are the most important? 4. What are the essential knowledge and skills that students must master to be
successful in college-level coursework?
EARLY COLLEGE DESIGNS DATA USE TOOLKIT
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5. Most standardized assessments of student achievement emphasize Key Cognitive
Strategies and Academic Knowledge and Skills. Do you feel the responsibility as an instructor to teach Academic Behaviors as well as Key Cognitive Strategies and Academic Knowledge and Skills? If yes, how is that accomplished?
6. How do you define college-ready? How do you know when students are ready for college-level coursework?
7. Of the following assessments, which is the most valid and useful in measuring a student’s academic performance? o Tests (multiple-choice, short answer, etc.) o Essays (multi-paragraph responses) o Reports o Projects (multi-step, requires some outside research, etc.) o Portfolios
8. Describe the instructional strategies you use that are most effective in preparing students for college-level work?
9. How is your content taught in conjunction with cognitive skills such as analysis and reasoning?
10. How would you describe the ambiance and/or culture of your school in support of students’ success in your content area?
EARLY COLLEGE DESIGNS DATA USE TOOLKIT
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In this case, many of you guys are graduating and have had both high school and some college experience. The purpose of this focus group is to better understand your high school/college experiences and your plans for the future. Please feel free to chime in at any time with your thoughts and opinions. If that’s okay, we typically tape record focus group interviews just because I can’t write down everything. But if at any time you want me to stop recording just let me know. These interview tapes will not be shared with anyone at your school. We will produce a report that may use quotes from this focus group but will not identify any one in particular. And the permission slips outline this confidentiality (collect permission slips) 2. Start recording; ask each student to go around and say: a) First name, b) when they expect to graduate from high school, and c) if they’re also getting an Associates degree.
Sample Focus Group Questions
1. Describe your experience as an Early College student. For example, what did you and other students like about the experience/what worked for you? (Probe: noteworthy educational experiences in high school and college).
2. When you think about what it was like to be both a high school and college student, what was easy and what was difficult about it? (Probe: types of courses, instruction, teachers).
3. What was your experience like in Seminar (or other similar activity)? What impact, if any, did
it have on your experience as a student? Did you have any experiences with other academic and social supports (HS and college)?
4. What are your plans after you complete the Early College program? What are your long term
aspirations? (Probe: Continue courses at the college? Go on to four year? Career/work?)
5. How have you gone about making decisions about next steps (college, work)? Who (at school
and elsewhere) has helped with your decision-‐making process and how have they helped? 6. If you had some say in making the Early College student experience better, what would you
change if you were in charge of running the school?